Birthright: Tuornen Chapter Five

[ewancummins]

RIVERSIDE


While Roald chases Fez through the ramshackle building, Torthur remains outside and tries to save Mons Meg.

The dwarf kneels in the street with a thick swatch torn from his tunic pressed to the woman's injured throat. Bright red bloodstains spread across the cloth, soak through onto Torthur's calloused hands. Meg looks at him, her eyes wide with fear. She tries to speak but no words come out, only a dribble of blood. Her big body quivers, a wet and ragged cough escapes her chest, and she falls still. Torthur tries to revive her, but that isn't working...

[steveflam]

"Dangit! Help her! Someone help her! Find a medic!"

[Adam]

"LADS!" Cormac shouts out the door. "It's clear in here. Move in the wounded, we got a hurt prisoner down below."

He then turns and drops down into the hole next to Foerde. He does the best he can to untie to the prisoner, looking him over for wounds.

"It's alright now," Cormac says, "Ye're safe. The gobs are runnin'. Are yeh a brother from the temple? Are there other prisoners?"

[ewancummins]

"LADS!" Cormac shouts out the door. "It's clear in here. Move in the wounded, we got a hurt prisoner down below."

He then turns and drops down into the hole next to Foerde. He does the best he can to untie to the prisoner, looking him over for wounds.

"It's alright now," Cormac says, "Ye're safe. The gobs are runnin'. Are yeh a brother from the temple? Are there other prisoners?"

The men enter through the window.

Both poachers have been injured; minor wounds.

One of the woodcutters says-
"We had to get on the roof, and then a big wolf chased us down Goblins tried to catch us. It was pretty rough. I don't think they are all gone, Cormac. In fact..."

The young man peers through the window,

"There is a bunch coming this way!"

Sure enough, over the din of the storm, Cormac hears hissing Goblin voices and tramping feet outside.

[Adam]

Cormac curses and spits as he looks about for a way to get up out of the pit.

"Varmints can't figure out when enough is enough," he grumbles as he reaches the top. He looks out the window and evaluates how much time until they reach the window.

"BOWS READY BOYS! TIME TO DRIVE 'EM OFF FER GOOD!"

[ewancummins]

RIVERSIDE

"Dangit! Help her! Someone help her! Find a medic!"

People scared away by the fight start to drift back into the street.

Several men and women come to help Torthur.

Clyde trundles off after the thief who took the purse.



Meanwhile, Roald chases Fez through a dimly lit building, some sort of flophouse or tenement.

[ewancummins]

MONASTERY

Cormac curses and spits as he looks about for a way to get up out of the pit.

"Varmints can't figure out when enough is enough," he grumbles as he reaches the top. He looks out the window and evaluates how much time until they reach the window.

"BOWS READY BOYS! TIME TO DRIVE 'EM OFF FER GOOD!"

Cormac spots maybe a score of goblins, mostly the small kind, armed with spears and clubs. They are coming from the far end of the compound, avoiding open ground by dashing between the corners of buildings.

To reach the stables, though, they will have to cross the muddy dirt ground or cut through the edge of the gardens.

He’s got a minute or two...

[Adam]

He grimly surveys the situation and turns back to the trap door.

"We're gonna need ye' up here in a bit, Foerde. 'S abou' two dozen of 'em incomin'."

With that he turns back to the window and addresses the men.

"Righ', use yer shots to drive 'em towards tha' garden." He nods to each. "The Stormlord's done enough today. Time for Aerik to handle his bit. We get 'em into those plants, an' they're all ours."

With that he strings his bow and does his part to start herding them.

[ewancummins]

He grimly surveys the situation and turns back to the trap door.

"We're gonna need ye' up here in a bit, Foerde. 'S abou' two dozen of 'em incomin'."

With that he turns back to the window and addresses the men.

"Righ', use yer shots to drive 'em towards tha' garden." He nods to each. "The Stormlord's done enough today. Time for Aerik to handle his bit. We get 'em into those plants, an' they're all ours."

With that he strings his bow and does his part to start herding them.

One of the poachers goes up the hayloft and onto the roof through a hatch he finds there.

Dietric unbars and opens the door-- but not too wide. Just wide enough for shooting.

The men commence fire, and soon drive the goblins towards the gardens.

[ewancummins]

FLOPHOUSE


Rushing after Fez, Roald slams into the greasy man just as the killer twists around the left side of the doorway. Both men hit the planks rolling. Roald's sword gets stuck in the doorjamb, but Fez has dropped his bloody knife.


The poor folk who sleep in this lousy, dingy house take one look at the two men fighting and head for the back door.

[Adam]

"Good shootin', lads," he mutters as he rests his bow against the window, eyes relaxing closed.

He begins chanting as he reaches out with his mind towards the plants of the garden, calling on the power of Aerik and using it to entwine the bodies of the enemy.

[ewancummins]

"Good shootin', lads," he mutters as he rests his bow against the window, eyes relaxing closed.

He begins chanting as he reaches out with his mind towards the plants of the garden, calling on the power of Aerik and using it to entwine the bodies of the enemy.

Shurbs and green stalks whip about as if blown by a high wind. The Goblins cry out in surprise. Roots erupt from the black soil and grab the little monsters by the legs. The screams grow louder.

The men continue to shoot...

[VAN]

Maeve cocks her head a little to the right and stares intently at Filbert.

''Yes, clever little Shadowspawn, that's right. I called and you came seeking."

She looks up at Devlin for a a moment, then back down to Filbert.

"He looks more like his mother than like his father, doesn't he?"

Filbert doesn't expect a rational reply from someone called "Mad Meave" so he needs a second to realize what has just happened. Indeed this Meave is responsible for the phrases and she also has met Devlin's parents because she can tell to whom the young duke looks like. Without trying to hide his perplexion, the halfing says:

"Yeah sure, he looks more like his mother than his father. But how do you know? Have you met Duke's Devlin's parents? And why this secrecy with the phrases? What do they mean?"

[kintire]

Safana looks thoughtful for a moment.

"We should find these people. If they are friends, they need refuge here. If they are enemies, their information must be brought here. Either way, the contents of those wagons will be useful!"

[ewancummins]

RANALD'S MANOR-HOUSE, PARLOR

Safana looks thoughtful for a moment.

"We should find these people. If they are friends, they need refuge here. If they are enemies, their information must be brought here. Either way, the contents of those wagons will be useful!"

"Yes, that does seem wise."

Ranald turns to Gunnar.


"And your thoughts, my lieutenant? "